White cuts up down under

Despite the relaxed atmosphere at their training base, the Scotland squad are playing hard in preparation for the first match against Japan

ANYBODY who had any doubts about the intensity or the competition within the squad here at Camp Scotland in Caloundra had only to watch the mock match staged between the players in rotating groups yesterday. It ended with Jason White nursing stitches above his eye after a clash of heads with Bryan Redpath, his captain, Ross Beattie clutching an ice pack after a blow to the back of his neck and Scott Murray sitting out the last few minutes with a twisted knee. Andy Mower missed the session, again with a knee niggle.

Of them all, only Murray can be seen as a potential worry ahead of the match against Japan next Sunday, as it was a knee injury that sidelined him after the Wales game. Since he was later running on it without any obvious discomfort, management were confident there was no serious damage.